Teething

There's a reason no one remembers being a baby.  It's hard. It's confusing. And, it seems pretty painful and frustrating a lot of the time.  Imagine having to shriek every time you go to the bathroom simply so you won't have to sit in your own filth, or twisting and turning to get to sleep because your muscles aren't quite strong enough to get you positioned comfortably. Or worse yet- growing teeth.

 

Having gone through labor without an epidural, I can honestly say I know my pain threshold pretty well. That being said, I still hate the dentist and believe that any teeth-related pain I've had is up there with the worst pain ever.  I'm so glad I don't remember actually growing them.  Baby B is now 5 months old, and he's embarking on that wonderful journey.  At first, it was hard to tell if his occasional increased fussiness was caused by teething. Soon we started to see some clear signs.  

Increased Drooling:

Biting toys:

 

Biting... pretty much anything:

At 5 months old, Baby B likes: biting things, blankets, Max, drumming, eating, and bath time.

He dislikes: sleeping, sitting still, dirty diapers and being buckled in.

Even though teething has been rough at times, he still usually looks like this :)

Where Babies Don't Belong

Drew and I are fortunate to live in a very family-friendly town.  You can count on every restaurant to have a high chair and usually outdoor seating.  The parks are clean and on every corner.  Usually my baby is in an accommodating environment that makes me look like a parenting pro.  Sometimes, however, you can't help but bring a baby where they really don't belong.  We had a few experiences with this throughout Month 4. Some of which I handled gracefully, others... well... turned out kinda poopy.

The Airplane

You don't know judgment until you step into an airport terminal holding a baby.  As I watched countless faces turn to despair and dread, I couldn't help but feel a bit put off.  I held Baby B in the ergo carrier, ready for a red eye flight, and he was nothing short of adorable.  In fact, he stayed that way the whole ride to Florida for our friend's wedding.  We scheduled the red eye to save time and crossed our fingers he'd sleep the whole way.  I should've crossed both hands because while he slept in my arms peacefully the entire duration, I sat stationary and wide-eyed, unable to move lest I wake my sleeping angel.  For those of you who may not have flown in awhile, let me warn you they are making newer planes progressively more uncomfortable. By the time we arrived I felt like a Picasso painting.  It took several hours for everything to move back into place.

The Cathedral

The wedding venue was beautiful. Stain glass windows, 20-foot ceilings, sleek wooden pews, and the echoes- you could hear a pin drop in that place a mile away. I bet a baby's cry would resonate for days.  I carried Baby B in his suit, and sat down to see the bride come down the aisle.  It was to be a traditional Catholic service. We watched Drew and the rest of the groomsmen take their places along with the groom, listened to the music begin and enjoyed the processional.  Being a former bride myself, I knew exactly what to do the second the priest started speaking.  We snuck out the back.  I wasn't going to distract everyone with fidgeting and fussiness during an hour-long service.  We played on the steps of the cathedral until just before the bride and groom were announced.  We saw the best parts.  Afterwards when guests complimented my baby for being so remarkably well-behaved, I smiled and nodded.  Parenting win.

The Store

My son is not a fan of shopping.  We've had a few excursions end abruptly for one reason or another, but a particular trip to Target had me literally out of  breath either from embarrassment, stress or laughter. I can't decide.

It was nap time and he usually falls asleep in the car so I thought my plan of leaving during his nap and having him sleep through all of my errands was fool-proof.  Except that when we arrived at the store he was still wide awake.  We made it through several aisles before he got fussy and wanted to be held, leaving me with a baby in one hand and cart in the other, awkwardly pushing it slowly toward the register.  When he calmed down I put him in his carrier and that's when I heard it.  "gurgle." The familiar sound of a full diaper.  I figured I was on my way out, I could change him in the trunk of my car (which he prefers over the fold-down changers in store bathrooms for some reason) and we'd be on our way.  As soon as he was laying down and I lifted up his onesie I saw we had the most major blowout I've ever seen.  POOP EVERYWHERE.  I pulled out two wipes and realized they were my last ones.  Using every scrap of wipe, I'm cleaning poop off my baby, my car, his changing mat, etc.  Only having two hands, I tossed the soiled onesie onto the roof for a moment while I put on baby's diaper.  But a moment was all it took.

A gust of wind took the onesie, with all of that poop, and it blew away into a nearby parking spot.  There I am holding a naked baby in the trunk of my car staring in shock at a poop-covered garment completely out of reach.  I diapered the baby, picked him up and went after the onesie.  After I retrieved it and threw it in a plastic bag I still had to dress the baby, buckle him in, load all the merchandise, and pray he'd finally take that nap.

At 4 months, Baby B is 16lbs 5oz, 25.5 inches tall.  He's in the 75th percentile and has hit all the major milestones including rolling over both ways, standing and sitting with some assistance, giggling, grabbing his hands and feet, and blowing raspberries.

Baby B likes: tummy time, music class, pooping, eating, meeting new friends and family members, and traveling.

Baby B dislikes: sleeping, mittens, and the garbage disposal.

Musicology

When I was a kid, my mom sang all the time.  We sing to the radio in the car like lots of people do, but she also constantly sang made up songs around the house.  She'd sing about any menial task from doing the dishes to folding laundry.  I always thought it was a personality quirk. Now I realize, it's because she had kids.

Baby B loves listening to music and it often calms him down or eases transitions or just enhances playtime.  It's resulted in a very "Glee" lifestyle.  I find myself singing all of the time whether it's a lullaby to help him nap, a song and dance to make him smile, or my favorite- a made up tune desperately sung to distract him from crying.  This is where the improvisation skills really come into play as I create such hits as, "Let's get Dressed," or "It's Sleepytime," or the more impatient remixed version, "Why Won't You Sleep."  The worst part is when my own made up songs get stuck in my head, causing me to mumble out loud in public, phrases like, "Watch your mobile while I go to the bathroooooom."

As much as my singing makes him smile, his newly found giggle is truly music to my ears.   At three months, he is a strong healthy baby with an ability to learn so quickly that I find it amazing.  We are now enrolled in a music class called Musicology and he loves it! Well, he loves the parts of class he participates in while he's awake.  Let's just say he's not the best student yet.  He must get that from daddy.

At three months, B likes: color contrast books, flying like superman, his soft teddy bear, looking at his feet, and making new friends.

He dislikes: naps, the blender, sneezes, and Postino after 7pm.